Wideband transmission with narrowband monitoring for new radio unlicensed spectrum (NRU)

Abstract

A device may wirelessly communicate according to a first radio access technology (RAT) within a first bandwidth part (BWP) of a frequency spectrum in which wireless communications according to other RAT(s) also take place. The device may be instructed to operate/communicate within a second BWP of the frequency spectrum responsive to the device successfully completing a listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure within a specified portion of the second BWP, where the second BWP contains the first BWP while the first BWP does not contain the specified portion of the second BWP. The device may also be instructed to operate/communicate within a specified frequency band (SFB) of the frequency spectrum responsive to the device successfully completing an LBT procedure within the SFB, where the SFB is not contiguous with the frequency band that includes the first BWP. The device may then simultaneously operate within the second frequency band and the first frequency band.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a processor configured to cause a device to:
 perform first wireless communications according to a first radio access technology (RAT) within a first bandwidth part (BWP) of a first frequency band, wherein wireless communications according to one or more other RATs also take place in the first frequency band; 
 receive, as part of the first wireless communications, control information subsequent to a successfully completed listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure by the device within a specified portion of a second BWP of the first frequency band, wherein the control information instructs the device to communicate within the second BWP, wherein the second BWP contains the first BWP and the first BWP does not contain the specified portion of the second BWP; 
 begin communicating within the second BWP in response to receiving the control information; and 
 switch back from communicating within the second BWP to communicating within the first BWP at least in response to a channel occupancy time for present wireless communications of the device ending. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the control information is comprised in downlink control information. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the device to receive the control information from a base station. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first frequency band is in an unlicensed frequency spectrum. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the device to monitor the first BWP for an initial signal that carries control information, subsequent to a successfully completed LBT procedure within the first BWP. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the device to switch back from communicating within the second BWP to communicating within the first BWP in response expiration of a BWP-inactivity timer. 
     
     
       7. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the first BWP is a narrowband BWP. 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the device is one of a group of devices, wherein each respective device in the group of devices operates in a different respective default BWP assigned to the respective device in the first frequency band. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the different respective default BWPs assigned to the group of devices are non-overlapping. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein remaining BWPs not assigned in the first frequency band as the different respective default BWPs overlap to ensure better spectrum efficiency. 
     
     
       11. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein a size of the specified portion of the second BWP is defined according to a type of expected interference from communications performed according to the one or more other RATs in the first frequency band. 
     
     
       12. A device comprising:
 radio circuitry configured to facilitate wireless communications of the device; and 
 a processor communicatively coupled to the radio circuitry and configured to interoperate with the radio circuitry to: 
 perform first wireless communications according to a first radio access technology (RAT) over a first carrier corresponding to a first frequency band, wherein wireless communications according to one or more other RATs also take place in the first frequency band; 
 receive, as part of the first wireless communications, control information subsequent to a successfully completed listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure within a second frequency band, wherein the control information instructs the device to communicate over a second carrier corresponding to the second frequency band, wherein wireless communications according to one or more other RATs also take place in the second frequency band, wherein the second frequency band is not contiguous with the first frequency band; 
 communicate over the second carrier while also communicating over the first carrier in response to receiving the control information; and 
 cease communicating over the second carrier at least in response to a channel occupancy time for present wireless communications of the device ending. 
 
     
     
       13. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to further interoperate with the radio circuitry to monitor the first frequency band for an initial signal that carries control information, subsequent to a successfully completed LBT procedure within the first frequency band. 
     
     
       14. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the control information is included in downlink control information. 
     
     
       15. The device of  claim 12 , wherein the processor is configured to further interoperate with the radio circuitry to:
 receive second control information instructing the device to no longer communicate over the second carrier; and 
 cease communicating over the second carrier while still communicating over the first carrier in response to receiving the second information. 
 
     
     
       16. A non-transitory memory element storing instructions executable by a processor to cause a device to:
 perform first wireless communications according to a first radio access technology (RAT) within a first bandwidth part (BWP) of a first frequency band, wherein wireless communications according to one or more other RATs also take place in the first frequency band; 
 receive, as part of the first wireless communications, control information subsequent to a successfully completed listen-before-talk (LBT) procedure within a specified portion of a second BWP of the first frequency band, wherein the second BWP contains the first BWP and the first BWP does not contain the specified portion of the second BWP; 
 begin communicating within the second BWP in response to receiving the control information; and 
 switch back from communicating within the second BWP to communicating within the first BWP at least in response to a channel occupancy time for present wireless communications of the device ending. 
 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory memory element of  claim 16 , wherein the control information is comprised in downlink control information, and the first frequency band is in an unlicensed frequency spectrum. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory memory element of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the device to monitor the first BWP for an initial signal that carries control information, subsequent to a successfully completed LBT procedure within the first BWP. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory memory element of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the device to switch back from communicating within the second BWP to communicating within the first BWP in response to expiration of a BWP-inactivity timer. 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory memory element of  claim 16 , wherein the device is one of a group of devices, wherein each respective device in the group of devices operates in a different respective default BWP assigned to the respective device in the first frequency band;
 wherein the different respective default BWPs assigned to the group of devices are non overlapping; and 
 wherein remaining BWPs not assigned in the first frequency band as the different respective default BWPs overlap to ensure better spectrum efficiency.